System and method for creating and managing virtual services

1. A method of configuring a virtual server comprising: creating the virtual server; loading an operating system image from an operating system storage; retrieving configuration information for the virtual server from a configuration storage; configuring the virtual server; loading application data for the configured virtual server from a data storage; selectively identifying, by a configuration server, updated information to be transferred to the virtual server, the updated information comprising the operating system image; and detecting if a partial failure or a complete failure of the virtual server has occurred, and if the partial failure has occurred, determining whether the virtual server can continue operation, and if a complete failure has occurred, rebooting the virtual server, wherein the operating system image, the configuration information and the application data are separately retrieved by the virtual server from the operating system storage, the configuration storage, and the data storage, respectively, such that the virtual server provides a particular functionality based on the configuration information that was retrieved, and wherein, before the operating system image, the configuration information and the application data are separately retrieved, a plurality of different operating system images is stored in the operating system storage, information for a plurality of different configurations is stored in the configuration storage, and a plurality of different applications is stored in the data storage.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein creating the virtual server comprises executing at least one command line argument to invoke the virtual server.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein loading an operating system image comprises loading a selected operating system image from a plurality of operating system images based, at least in part, on the at least one command line argument.

4. The method of claim 2 , wherein the at least one command line argument includes a network address, and the configuration information is retrieved across a network connection.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein creating the virtual server comprises: allocating resources for the virtual server; and assigning an identity to the virtual server.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein retrieving configuration information is based, at least in part, on the identity of the virtual server.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein loading an operating system image comprises: creating a ram disk containing configuration information for the virtual server; and retrieving the configuration information from the ram disk while loading the operating system image.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein loading an operating system image further comprises booting the virtual server using the operating system.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein configuring the virtual server further comprises: assigning at least one network address to the virtual server; and applying security rules for the virtual server.

10. The method of claim 1 , further comprising assigning at least one network address to the virtual server.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the at least one network address is assigned based on at least one security rule.

12. The method of claim 10 , wherein the at least one network address is assigned based on at least one command line instruction.

13. The method of claim 10 , wherein the at least one network address is assigned based on an identity of the virtual server.

14. The method of claim 1 , further comprising periodically saving data generated by the virtual server.

15. The method of claim 14 , further comprising: in response to detecting the complete failure, retrieving the saved data.

16. The method of claim 14 , further comprising: in response to detecting the partial failure, retrieving the saved data and resuming operation of the virtual server using the saved data.

17. The method of claim 1 , wherein rebooting the virtual server comprises repeating the steps of loading an operating system image, retrieving configuration information, configuring the virtual server, loading application data, and starting configured services.

18. The method of claim 1 , further comprising changing the configuration of the virtual server.

19. The method of claim 18 , wherein: changing the configuration comprises detecting a previous configuration for the virtual server; and retrieving configuration information comprises retrieving only configuration information necessary to change the configuration of the virtual server.

20. A method of configuring a plurality of virtual servers comprising: creating the plurality of virtual servers; loading, by each virtual server, one of a plurality of different operating system images from an operating system storage; retrieving configuration information for each virtual server from a configuration storage; configuring each virtual server; loading application data by each configured virtual server from a data storage; selectively identifying, by a configuration server, updated information to be transferred to the virtual servers, the updated information comprising the one of the plurality of different operating system images; and detecting if a partial failure or a complete failure of at least one of the virtual servers has occurred, and if the partial failure has occurred, determining whether the at least one virtual server can continue operation, and if the complete failure has occurred, rebooting the at least one virtual server, wherein the operating system images, the configuration information and the application data are separately retrieved by the virtual servers from the operating system storage, the configuration storage, and the data storage, respectively, such that the virtual servers provide a particular functionality based on the configuration information that was retrieved, and wherein, before the operating system images, the configuration information and the application data are separately retrieved, information for a plurality of different configurations is stored in the configuration storage, and a plurality of different applications is stored in the data storage.

21. The method of claim 20 , wherein creating the plurality of virtual servers comprises: allocating resources for each virtual server; and assigning an identity to each virtual server.

22. The method of claim 21 , wherein retrieving configuration information is based, at least in part, on the identity of each virtual server.

23. The method of claim 20 , wherein loading an operating system image further comprises booting the virtual server using the operating system.

24. The method of claim 20 , wherein configuring each virtual server further comprises: assigning at least one network address to each virtual server; and applying security rules for each virtual server.

25. The method of claim 20 , further comprising assigning at least one network address to each virtual server.

26. The method of claim 25 , wherein the at least one network address is assigned based on at least one security rule.

27. The method of claim 25 , wherein the at least one network address is assigned based on at least one command line instruction.

28. The method of claim 25 , wherein the at least one network address is assigned based on an identity of each virtual server.

29. The method of claim 20 , further comprising periodically saving data for each virtual server.

30. The method of claim 29 , further comprising: in response to detecting the complete failure, retrieving the saved data for the at least one virtual server affected by the complete failure.

31. The method of claim 29 , further comprising: in response to detecting the partial failure, retrieving the saved data for the at least one virtual server affected by the partial failure, and resuming operation of the failed at least one virtual server using the saved data.

32. The method of claim 20 , further comprising changing the configuration of at least one virtual server.

33. The method of claim 32 , wherein: changing the configuration comprises detecting a previous configuration for the at least one virtual server; and retrieving configuration information comprises retrieving only configuration information necessary to change the configuration of the at least one virtual server.

34. A system for managing virtual servers comprising: a physical server including at least one central processing unit, the physical server creating one or more virtual servers, and assigning an identity and a network address to each of said one or more virtual servers; the physical server detecting if a partial failure or a complete failure of at least one of the one or more virtual servers has occurred, and if the partial failure has occurred, determining whether the at least one of the one or more virtual servers can continue operation, and if a complete failure has occurred, rebooting the at least one of the one or more virtual servers, a storage system, including an operating system storage portion, a configuration portion, and a data storage portion, the operating system storage portion storing generic images of data defining operating system environments, wherein each image corresponds to a different operating system; the configuration storage portion storing configuration information specifying functions to be performed by said one or more virtual servers; the data storage portion storing information generated by said one or more virtual servers; and a configuration server that selectively identifies updated information to be transferred to said one or more virtual servers, the updated information comprising at least one of the images; wherein each said virtual server performs the acts: loading a generic image from said operating system storage portion, retrieving configuration information from said configuration storage portion, booting the operating system using said configuration information, and loading application data from said configuration storage portion, wherein the generic image, the configuration information and the application data are separately retrieved by the virtual server from the operating system storage portion, the configuration storage portion, and the data storage portion, respectively, such that the virtual server provides a particular functionality based on the configuration information that was retrieved, and wherein, before the generic image, the configuration information and the application data are separately retrieved, a plurality of different generic images is stored in the operating system storage portion, information for a plurality of different configurations is stored in the configuration storage portion, and a plurality of different applications is stored in the data storage portion.

35. The system of claim 34 , wherein said at least one physical server allocates resources for each of said one or more virtual servers.

36. The system of claim 34 , wherein each virtual server applies security rules based, at least in part, on said configuration information and said identity.

37. The system of claim 34 , wherein said data storage portion includes a backup portion for periodically storing collected data from said one or more virtual servers.

38. The system of claim 34 , wherein said physical server in response to detecting the complete failure, performs the acts of: creating a new virtual server with the identity and network address of each failed virtual server, booting said new virtual server with the properties of said failed virtual server, and loading saved application data from said data storage portion to said new virtual server.

39. The system of claim 34 , wherein said physical server in response to detecting the partial failure, causes said at least one failed virtual server to retrieve saved application data from said data storage portion and resume operation.

40. The system of claim 34 , wherein the configuration of at least one virtual server is changed.

41. The system of claim 40 , wherein: said configuration storage portion detects a previous configuration for said at least one virtual server; and retrieving configuration information comprises retrieving only configuration information necessary to change the configuration of said at least one virtual server.